Local youth spend days playing corkballGrant Payne took a quick step toward an incoming pitch and sent it sailing outside the third-base line, deep in the outfield. "Foul ball," someone called. "It went blackberry pickin'," another said. Payne is one of several boys who meet daily to play a version of corkball on a small baseball diamond on Marina Way in Russellville. "Backberry pickin" is what they've come to call a foul ball on account of the blackberry bushes that grow past the ...

Sharks to host swim meetThe Russellville Sharks will host the Alma Gators, Clarksville Sea Dragons and Paris Sting Rays at 4:30 p.m. on Friday at M.J. Hickey Park for the annual River Valley Swim Meet. Friday's meet will feature 52 events for athletes between the ages of 6-19 across M.J. Hickey Park's 50-meter pool. The shorter, shallow end of the pool will be utilized for ages 6-10 for the first half of the meet, then the longer 50-meter portion will be used for ath...

NASCAR backs moves on Confederate flag DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — NASCAR is backing South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's call to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds in the wake of a massacre at a Charleston church. The motorsports series issued its statement Tuesday, one day after Haley said "the time has come" to remove the flag. NASCAR bars the use of the flag, saying that while "freedom of expression is an inherent right of all citizens, we will continue to stri...

Brady appeal begins at NFL headquarters NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Brady and representatives from the players' union are meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell at NFL headquarters as the New England quarterback appeals his four-game suspension. Brady was suspended by the league for his role in the use of deflated footballs in the AFC championship game win over Indianapolis. He arrived at the NFL's Park Avenue offices Tuesday morning, as did attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who is leading Brady's...

Razorback golfer qualifies for LPGA event in Arkansas ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — A University of Arkansas golfer has qualified to play in an LPGA tournament to be played in Rogers. Samantha Marks shot an even part 71 Monday to win the qualifier and earn one of two spots available for the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship that begins Friday at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. Marks' Razorback teammate Gabriela Lopez is also in the field after receiving a sponsor's exemption and former Razorback Sta...

2 of Arkansas' 4 baseball draftees sign pro contracts FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Two of four Arkansas Razorback baseball players who were selected in the recent Major League Draft have now signed professional contracts. The university announced Monday that pitcher Trey Killian has signed with the Colorado Rockies after being selected in the ninth round of the draft. Killian joins Bobby Wernes in signing pro contracts after Wernes earlier signed with the Houston Astros. Outfielders Andrew Benintend...

Arkansas baseball again in top 2 in nation in attendance FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — The University of Arkansas is ranked in the top two in the nation in average attendance for baseball. This is the fourth consecutive season and the eighth time in nine years the Razorback baseball team ranked in the top two nationally. UA said Monday that an average of 8,290 fans attended each of UA's 33 home games for a total of 273,595 tickets sold during the 2015 season as the Razorbacks advanced to the College Wor...

Surtevall awarded with Female Player of the Year honorRebecka Surtevall became the second athlete in the four-year history of the GAC to win multiple Athlete of the Year awards as she joined Henderson State quarterback Kevin Rodgers (2012-13 and 2013-14) with that distinction. She continued to make history throughout the 2014-15 season by becoming the first player in league history to win four Player of the Year awards. During the season, Surtevall won three times during the season. She picked up...

ATU wins fourth GAC All-Sports awardOKLAHOMA CITY — Arkansas Tech University secured the 2014-15 Great American Conference All-Sports Trophy after a strong spring season enabled the Wonder Boys and Golden Suns overcome nine-point deficit after the winter season. ATU finished the 2014-15 athletic season with a total of 70 points, three points ahead of Harding. For the second straight spring, the competition came down to the final weekend of the spring season as wins by the Wonder...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Wonder Boys to host youth basketball campWonder Boys head basketball coach Chad Kline said he is excited for the upcoming Boys Youth Basketball Camp that begins Monday at Tucker Coliseum. It's a chance for the coach to teach youngsters basketball fundamentals and to see his players and staff have a little fun with the sport they've all devoted so much of their lives to. "We all remember when we went to youth camps like this," Kline said. "It's a time for us to be on the floor and for...

Killian bids farewell to Arkansas baseballFAYETTEVILLE — Trey Killian says he just completed one lifelong dream soon to start another. Growing up a Norfork native graduating from Mountain Home High, Killian dreamed of pitching for the Arkansas Razorbacks then pitching professionally in the Major Leagues. The University of Arkansas junior has pitched for the Razorbacks three years now, his final start in the College World Series at Omaha, the college baseball mecca that Killian admitte...

Cyclones work hard as summer progresses You can forget the lazy days of summer if you’re a Cyclones football player — you get two weeks during the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) enforced “dead period,” but beyond that summer belongs to football. For Russellville, it’s a chance to get stronger. First-year head coach Billy Dawson said the players are still getting used to a few changes, but they’ve grown a lot in the offseason. “Summer is always about getting stronger,” he said...

Single-game Razorback football tickets to go on sale FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Single-game tickets for the University of Arkansas football team will soon be on sale. The university announced Wednesday that Razorback fans can purchase the tickets starting at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. The prices for the seven home games range from $45 to $65. The university is also offering a $169 combo pack for the three conference home games against Auburn, Mississippi State and Missouri. The Razorbacks finished the 2...

Arkansas out of CWS after Miami walks off with 4-3 victoryOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Arkansas' trip to the College World Series was over quickly, and coach Dave Van Horn had no regrets. The Razorbacks, after all, weren't expected to make it this far, not after entering April as a .500 team and going into the postseason with a pitching staff sorely lacking depth. After Miami's Jacob Heyward delivered the walk-off RBI single that beat Arkansas 4-3 on Monday, the mood around the Hogs afterward was surprisingly ...

State MVP Allen to play soccer at WWURussellville High School graduate Taylor Allen earned a Class 6A State Tournament MVP nod after scoring both Russellville’s goals during the Cyclones’ 2-1 state championship victory over the Siloam Springs Panthers on May 23 at Razorback Field. But Allen said he’s “pretty much” over it. He’s ready to move on to the next phase of his life — college, specifically, over 2,000 miles away at Western Washington University (WWU). His goals in Russell...

Razorbacks fail to convert chances in 5-3 loss to VirginiaOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Arkansas had no problem getting runners on base. Getting them home was another matter. Andrew Benintendi hit his nation-leading 20th home run to tie the game in the fifth inning, but the Razorbacks didn't score again in a 5-3 loss to Virginia in the College World Series opener on Saturday. "We didn't punch them in, and they did," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "That was the difference in the game." The Hogs (40-24), in t...

Hogs remain in top 25 for spring sportsFAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas has maintained its top-25 national ranking in the most recent spring standings for the 2014-15 Learfield Sports Directors Cup. The Directors Cup is a competition that tracks the nation’s most successful intercollegiate athletics programs for their athletic performances throughout the year. The spring standings include scoring for fall and winter sports as well as points for men’s and women’s golf, lacr...

Dramatic Arkansas returns to CWSFAYETTEVILLE — When Arkansas was at its lowest this season, the opportunity to play every day was exactly the medicine it needed. The result was a sudden and shocking turnaround that led to the Razorbacks’ fourth appearance in the College World Series in 13 seasons under coach Dave Van Horn. Arkansas (41-23) opens play in Omaha on Saturday against Virginia (39-22), the same team that eliminated the Razorbacks in regional NCAA play last season....